Chapter 49: Time to go home (2)
JZEThe walled city of Sturma.zQ47
61I9ZjIts owner, Peter Bayezid, clutched the telegram Ragmus had handed him and sighed.azxzi
I3iAL“…Count Ravnoma has fallen.”vuIaCKm
BU5UUMPeter rubbed his temples with one hand and closed his eyes. {1}kPWf84L
1hxPZ7He had known for a while that something was amiss in the West, but he never expected an outcome like this.YQCbk3
Smr“…Did Count Gaidar’s family have so much power?”VuUwTjB
ImPB17N“They say the western families united. It seems it was insurmountable.”AiaTU
JXzIhCV“Why didn’t the royal family intervene?”DBAryfb
PZ7olSI“…From our standpoint, we couldn’t discern what was happening in the center.”M0RiTl
vbmWYExpressing it with apologies, Ragmus couldn’t avoid it either.yIBm
5YBvThe North was a place with a stronger identity than any other region. While they were free from the influence of royalty or central power by clearly erecting a wall, at the same time, they couldn’t help but be ignorant of what was happening in other areas. In everything, there was a hierarchy that had to be respected.eh2
QDfC8E“···It’s a pity for a count’s family from a country to fall like this. And furthermore, a family that upholds an oath.”2FEa
WKe1tEven in turbulent times where the empire was weakening, there were still limits that needed protection. However, the new tide that was brewing was sweeping away the established rules and traditions as violently as they had been forced.IQPxXeb
VJ3G“······A chaotic time.”DfJ3
6eX3kThrough the latest news, Peter clearly understood what era he was living in. For those who had just gained power, the rules and traditions of the past must have felt like chains oppressing them. The order of the West had been reorganized.a3Xlp
aVz“···Indeed.”DwbY
bBWGmPLost in thought, Peter realized something and stood up as if he had understood, approaching the window. A procession of carriages entered the mansion with the intermittent spring rain falling. Watching the pilgrims enter the mansion carrying church emblems aloft, Peter murmured as if he finally understood.jp7gw
yW7PS“They were not pilgrims.”fUS
gfQKGkYPeople entering the Bayezid mansion with church symbols held high. Observing the pilgrims entering the mansion, Peter finally understood as he bit his lip.9er0c
txbxar“····They were not pilgrims. They were refugees who brought with them an ancient oath.”dQc5jv
y4pG9cW***58JhX
6AheVlad carried his luggage under the pouring rain.hjQqB
BS4The boy’s breath turned white in the cold spring rain.oDnioOm
AUicIt’s a strange atmosphere.R9J
gc1Until last night, the group had been laughing together in a fairly friendly atmosphere, but not now.2KfViE
OgkWith the sudden decision to leave, the group’s mood had hardened, and with it, a subtle tension.4y6
ePsAAs a result, Vlad arrived in Sturma a day earlier than planned, and under close surveillance, the priests were transferring the luggage they had brought with them.Lma
bOI“Be careful, be careful!”wIPbbIU
5QZzr6“Leave the servants out of this. We’ll handle this.”HoC
u0CVlad’s head naturally turned in that direction at the shout.GDwKdcS
b1qtYWhen loud sounds reached his ears, Vlad instinctively turned his head.3Ir06Y
pVTUBvThere was a heavy wooden chest with strange inscriptions carved on it.uxAr
uqSFor some reason, the chest caught the boy’s attention in a peculiar way. However, Vlad quickly averted his gaze from the chest, simply shifting his position.4vm
dKNxUAfter all, rain mixed with the blood of the Deathworms flowing from their corpses might not be compatible with his soul.dy3Olrn
82PN0H4Throbbing.83WvoH
3Q9Dh“It’s not okay.”skZBdm
2piXYeRProbably, it was the smell of blood that accelerated his heart.rTBPeA
WrM23RLike some people who are sensitive to certain foods or smells.rnrZo
QRBulQaIn his case, maybe it’s the blood of the death worm.zfHe
bnhkyE“Well done.”xUO
K2dJNfaCarrying his luggage to the entrance of the Bayezid mansion, Vlad kept his head down, waiting for the door to open.NQ5hhxZ
NyqqtTNA few more steps, and he would be inside, but that was all he could do.ljrGCh
VIypbOiRutiger and his knights entered, giving him a quiet pat on the shoulder for a job well done.ThSy2
IhUThe priests followed, surrounding the black wooden box.0YCW
z95O293They were all people he had been with all these years, but the boy didn’t deserve to be with them until the end.F4Yf
Y5JDA6k‘…..’Pqr
xADgGL6Vlad looked up as they walked away.AsO
9IbdCurious about the space he wasn’t allowed, and a little resentful.1I0
hcJGP“….!”O273Y7
JClYKF8And at that moment, their gazes met.iUjvXGd
0rG2VThe highest-ranking person in the Bayezid family.eaFlb
7ziWhere Vlad’s gaze met, a world so vast that it could barely be encompassed, observed the boy.JuO0
WxFCompletely frozen by Peter’s presence, Vlad could only remain motionless, unable to look away until the door was completely closed.HsOlbz
9EvaEFUntil the doors of the corridors that marked the boundaries of privilege were completely shut.0olnZYR
8qdnwIu***nTo2vPu
xZjc“I’m going to go.”L7LQM
Ss7HjW“All right.”1o8XU
pWbPortly bid Vlad farewell with a stern expression, as if he had his own expectations.wU01ju0
C2C4kVThe two squires returned to Sturma, expecting some kind of reward, perhaps even a small feast, for their successful slaying of a Deathworm.JiEkQ
zF8kHowever, they were forced back to their seats with the heavy feeling of a late spring rain.AqaXyI5
xE1XuZDVlad watched Portly’s back as he walked painfully back to his accommodation.fdH7EPg
g195Even though they were in the same boat, at least he had someone to rely on.P7e
jTp“…..”K9k
S5hIYAs Vlad walked down the hallway, he recalled Peter’s gaze from earlier.487lKk
KZ6YLq“I don’t remember.”ddu
UxwV0kIt was clear that it had been a strong first impression, but the issue was that he didn’t remember it.PRd
RZFmIt wasn’t what Peter seemed like; it was what he was, and that was all that remained in the boy’s mind.JjaotlA
Car“Hmmm.”Cg14Bto
KTJyUIt didn’t matter if he didn’t remember.Xa4tXO
tqT7AThe Count must have looked a lot like the man he was about to meet.w398o1
CBp“I’m here. Lord Joseph.”DOb
DXFVM“Come in.”0BF
qJnHcuAnnouncing his arrival in front of Joseph’s office, Vlad opened the door with a familiar gesture.YnJwo
wMEAlthough Bayezid’s glorious halls did not grant him a seat, Joseph’s office was more than willing to accommodate him.klclpNJ
qsCkn“You’re a day early.”xce824l
HkHltQ“It just happened.”AzZ
hBsrDJ“Yes. I heard.”aKEH
B1K8Joseph’s office, where Oksana had insisted on sitting, was the room in the Bayezid mansion that saw the longest periods of sunlight.BUVq
bV5qIt had been a burden for Vlad when he first moved in, but he had grown accustomed to it.aZJZLh
cpYdXKX“Are you okay?”YN2Sa
mqu“I’m fine.”KEdK6
Tye“Good.”23mQM
ZNcVlad tensed slightly as he looked at Joseph, who quietly questioned him, and Jager, who stood by his side.h4AkxYn
yDXWcHgHe wondered if he was about to receive a reprimand.TAx
3kBHelping to defeat the Deathworms attacking the pilgrims was undoubtedly a good thing, worthy of praise.rcRiy
o6ysLBut it was also a bit uncomfortable for Joseph himself.YSG2H25
fIiEsjxAfter all, he was helping Rutiger.uchws
4M0S5It was not something he would have wanted to do, given their rivalry.KA9sW
ChLLVH“Why are you looking at me like that?”PAF
p5ZsBut Joseph didn’t seem uncomfortable at all; he was only looking through the papers.cy4aN
dgh“…It’s nothing.”SCNV1I
yIlVlad responded with an internal sigh of relief.BCFGI
8kwmH0It relieved him not so much that he hadn’t been reprimanded, but that it had been exactly who he thought it was.9k9IE3
G6Y“I’m glad to know you’re better, but you better pull yourself together.”JFGO
ezEMjJoseph, who had been shuffling papers for a while, looked up and looked directly at Vlad.4oKV
s3p“I’m afraid I don’t know much about the streets of Soara.”tDBFKLU
NsX0G0DVlad was surprised that Joseph suddenly mentioned the streets of Soara.Aii
Gujsh“I’ve heard that a gang uprising ends when all the members are dead or surrender, is that true?”eND6SK
DisI“That’s… probably.”We4zeJt
wqtnkVAVlad lowered his head, thoughtful.BPdOwVe
cAt598aWhy was he suddenly asking about this?6uuK
htL9Vlad shrank a bit as he saw Joseph trying to get to his innermost parts.0gGQ
yT757b“Is that why you couldn’t send her a letter?”Sufut
pPeX0F1“What letter?”N1HTXp
uwRV“To your lover in the convent.”EKqhW8
mrv“She’s a friend…”c4Ev2c
KFW1“Whatever.”O5PPOfG
25xY6pUpon Vlad’s response, Joseph got up from his seat.Jxl00e
vqpgJ“Not that I’m not aware of what’s been happening in Soara, where we couldn’t send anyone for fear of hurting people.”lc14
hS3HYkCHe walked to the window and watched the spring rain for a moment before speaking.CfVcaUJ
JEQ9“I wanted to be considerate, but it takes time and a track record to make up for it. Jack the Maimed deserved what happened to him.”AUA
VnuvpgMVlad nodded, still, listening to Joseph’s words.TJAwIO
kteMaybe it was like that.dId3
hYn7U1Even though they were streets, it also belonged to Count Bayezid’s territory.3yKY
NuKFor a maimed man named Jack to roam freely in an alley, he would have to have contacts with powerful people in both places.OBtpJ4
WfkzmHe was a man of great wealth, as his name suggested.4XV9
fHw0xHe had a lot of money, even if it came from the tears of the people in the streets.RrYU
mno“…..”tDJ9
VPG8FdTVlad looked at Joseph, who remained motionless by the window.XZRCv
wnIVAnd the flag hanging beside him.TnbFs
Ayv3onHe had entered and exited Joseph’s office countless times, but he had never seen it.EfgL
4bJXYm“What’s that?”nP8F
b9FhlMA white flag, rectangular in shape.tUguBG
QWpIt was a bit smaller than the flags he had seen before, almost as if he could hold it with one hand.h6b
16aYX06After thinking for a moment, Joseph spoke.zzz
kSOLkV8“Thanks to you proving your worth…”xPa
UkrA6LtWith those words, Joseph carefully took out the flag he had by his side.Xp0JL
mfRobSg“Now that you’ve fought so much for me, I must repay you, as promised.”7ueA
h5l8m5“Is that… right?”Qng
IzHnlC2Vlad looked at Joseph as he walked slowly toward him, and he could almost see the image of Peter from earlier.mR2UG
g5CI6sThe dignity radiating as he held the flag reminded him of that presence.B8VmP56
djQa7“They say that knights from my grandfather’s time… carried banners like the one I hold now.”5foC
c6AZNJoseph gazed mysteriously at the flag in his hands.XMe
NveS0He smiled bittersweetly at the item he would never be able to carry.n8HK9
W0JFv“A flag representing your own honor.”y2Ohro
q2cBut Joseph was the chosen one.uKHeB
z4VeXCSince he couldn’t hold both the sword and the flag, he would hold the knight who held them.8lC
DmdcoOAnd there was a boy in front of him who could do that.d1FM
kysSrY“You are a man worthy of your own standard. And you are backed by Heinal and Bayezid.”rrk6a
XaqjWMVlad looked in astonishment at the white flag being handed to him.D5Jho
cDkBIt seemed blank, but in the upper-left corner of the flag were two small coats of arms.SowVmZI
oQxevq1They were the coats of arms of Heinal and Bayezid.xm2kfV
Kwb“Ha, but I…”EVzPuFH
jRo“Take this and go to your land.”bH07
CGJ“….!”Z1iP
zosfLkHearing Joseph’s words, Vlad felt as if he had been struck by lightning.oxmV9
6jtHis head was spinning from the sudden words.biDyP
3a6eoLMThis was the moment he had been waiting for, dreaming of, and decided he would do someday.1xZuUa
SNVBut he never imagined that this moment would be today.n8T
VQPGNj“Vlad, you who have taken the name Lady Alicia and you who are a squire of House Bayezid, hold your head high under the banner.”nkZo
UAxoFJiThe boy raised his head with a dazed expression as he received the flag from Joseph’s hand.8KZC
ooBA6But despite his expressionless face, the boy’s body was trembling.hpR
guHru6The moment he had been waiting for so much was approaching.H7c2
g7hCEI“There, you will cut the ties that have held you captive, and you will come to me again, truly free.”8PVR
rY7Nh7Vlad didn’t respond.kYQGe
KDS7He just stared at the flag he held with a vacant look.icI
lY5DVa“As I promised, all sponsored by Bayezid. Vlad Of Soara.”erJJx
CJaSfieFrom that day’s contract.jBqyQjc
VtUThe boy and the young man promised to give and receive.Ayqox
1OtBrx6And that promise was confirmed under the honorable banner that the boy now held.dMsM
eoCGVlad Of Soara.Lf2
VCSFOVReturn to your homeland.JfWb
cFcThere, break the bonds that bind you.vjjYXv
pUGdAnd claim what is yours.IsU
4LoVPpM“I accept the name…”mLN
wkjThe boy tightly grasped the flag he held.C5wt
6ejUntil his hands turned pale.11u4r
3WS99Translator’s notes:(1): Joseph’s father’s name will change from Fether to Peter for better understanding.YzxHU
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